from bullets to bazookas

peace keeping

Regrettably, on Monday, I was not able to hand out the gifts myself. I hope they were enough to put a smile on their faces. I am not sure if it has been handed out yet. I did stay to watch the opening ceremonies and these little kids looked sharp! With fresh haircuts, the girls all with hair braided back in rows, clean pressed uniforms, and well rested from the holidays, they look ready for fresh discipline - which the teachers are not shy to administer. God bless them all.

For the past two weeks, Victoria, a young girl around 16 has been coming to church on Sundays and Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, I see her in church when I return from visiting with some of the familiar locals. Two Sundays ago, when I first saw her, she walked in late, sat somewhere in the middle, walked out for a bit in the middle of service, returned and promptly left just after the benediction. This past Sunday, I found her in the first row, and she stayed behind and greeted a few church folks before she took flight. I visited her house at 7:30 PM last night with two other sisters, but only a small girl and two little kids in her care remained at home. We asked for Victoria and the girl told us that she had gone to church. No doubt, when we arrived back, we saw her in the first row, rather animated by the stories sprinkled into Bro. Paul's message as she took notes. Service ended at 8:30 PM - a bit longer than usual, but no one took note of time as the crowd of about 25 was engaged in the sermon. Victoria stayed behind to greet others before she left.

After the crowd had dispersed (all 25 of the attendees, as well as the bus load of folks from Congo Cross who come to Waterloo every Tuesdays), we turned the generator off and were getting ready for bed at about 10 PM when there was a knock on the door. I attended to the door and asked in the very little Krio I know who was out there. "Na me", the voice responded. Since I didn't know what else to ask, I opened the door to find Victoria and her cousin outside in tears. I called Bro. Samuel over and she explained to us that her grandmother had locked them out and told them to sleep on the street as she did not believe that the girls had been in church. Since quarter to nine, they had been roaming the streets, going from house to house asking people to help them, to speak to her grandmother to allow them back in. Finally in desperation she came back to church to ask us to go with them to explain to her grandmother that she was indeed in church. Bro. Samuel and I grabbed our flashlights and followed them in the rain and the pitch black Waterloo darkness to their home. "Knock, knock!" we said when we arrived at their door - that's how the door bell works in Salone. We were welcomed in and her grandmother recognized us for we had visited her several times. I explained to her that Victoria was indeed in church and had been in church regularly for the past two weeks. Victoria and her cousin were still outdoors while we explained to their grandmother that they had not been elsewhere as her aunt thought they had been. After we had convinced her, they were asked to come indoors. Victoria bend her knees slightly and bowed to her grandmother as she walked in wiping her tears. Thankfully, my first peace keeping mission turned out well.

It is almost the end of September and the rain has not yet ceased is the complain I hear from everyone. I find no reason to complain about the rain. When it is not raining, the sun's heat is scorching. Soon the dry season will be upon us and from what I understand, water will be scarce the land will be very dry, and the wind will take up and spread the dry dirt. I am not really looking forward to it, but I am not asking for a break either. Fair weather greets me daily.

posted by bthomas24 @ 1:01 PM